He Got Game Page #5

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I'm gonna ask you--

I'm just hopin' that you

ain't compromisin' yourself, son.

I know what's going on. I know people

are offering you all kinds of things.

I just don't wanna see you beholden

to somebody for something you done took.

- Something I took?

- Yeah.

What do you expect? I gotta

take care of Mary, nobody else but me.

I refuse to let Mary grow up

in the same apartment with Uncle Bubba.

Look. All I'm sayin' is--

I would like to know where you're goin'.

- What difference does it

make where I'm goin'?

- I would like to know.

I don't know yet.

I have to weigh my options.

- You got any idea?

- Like I told the rest of

the world, I don't know yet.

I pray that you understand...

why I pushed you so hard.

It was only to get you

to that next level, son.

You's the first Shuttlesworth that's

even gonna make it out these projects.

I was the one who put the ball in

your hand. I put the ball in your crib.

- I ain't no baby no more.

- All right.

Why the hell did you name me Jesus

anyway? What type of name is that?

- It's a biblical name.

- No kiddin'.

- You don't like that name?

- I never liked my name.

- You ain't never told me.

- I used to tell Mommy a lot of things.

- Why you ain't never tell me?

- You haven't been around lately.

I used to hate for Mom

to call me in to come in for dinner.

Jesus! Jesus!

You're lucky my dribble's got--

- Dusted in for the N.B.A.

- Shut up! You look like--

- You look like a cockroach.

- Cockroach?

Cockroach this then.

Cockroach this.

That way. That way.

You just can't shoot

the darn fool.

- Ooh, shoot it? Shoot it?

- Yeah, shoot it.

Jesus!

- Jesus! Jesus!

- Jesus!

Jesus, time to come in and eat.

Bring your cousin Booger with you.

Could I just finish

one more shot, please?

- No! I said now, and I mean it!

- Come on.

People used to think she was

some type of religious freak,

catchin' the Holy Ghost.

Save me, Jesus!

Save me, Jesus!

- Just stop, Booger! That ain't funny!

- Well, it's funny to me.

Funny to me, just like you pickin'

and eatin' your boogers all the time.

- I don't eat my boogers!

- Yes, you do!

Man, you never seen me

eat my boogers.

How many you see me eat?

One, two or three?

I came to this court by myself.

Why you gotta follow me?

- Maybe I wanted to play with Jesus.

- Jesus!

Jesus! Jesus!

- Jesus!

- Look at that.

Moses parted the Red Sea,

not Jesus.

- Moses, Jesus, whatever.

- Whatever?

Whatever.

Everybody and their mama's running

around sayin' they're born again.

Especially all

these athletes and entertainers.

They get caught smokin' crack

in the hotel with ten whores.

All of a sudden they have a religious

experience? They find Jesus, all right.

What's wrong with finding Jesus, huh?

What's wrong with that?

How come you never hear Jesus being

praised in the losers' locker room then?

- They're probably cursin'

that motherf***er out.

- Hey, wait, wait, wait.

- First, number one--

- God ain't sh*t.

Number one, why you gotta use

all this kinda language?

You some kind of heathen now?

You don't make no mistakes?

You be out here shootin', but you

don't miss no shots ever? Ever?

People make mistakes. People veer off

the path. So what? God forgives them.

- Has God forgiven you

for killing my mother?

- I pray that He has.

- I believe He has. When will you?

- Never.

All right.

Well, hey, look.

- Hey. Sh*t.

- "Thou shall not kill."

- lsn't that from the Good Book?

- That's in the Good Book. So?

So what? Ain't nothin' I can do, son,

that can bring your mother back.

What you want me to do, huh?

Did you even love my mother?

Yes, I loved her!

I loved her more than life itself.

You sure did have

a hell of a way of showin' it.

When you goin' back anyway?

Yo, I got next.

I got next game, bro.

I wanna go eat.

Jesus, you off

the phone yet?

Hey.

You been on the phone

all night.

All these schools callin', we need

to just get another unlisted number.

- It still gets out.

- I'll be so glad when

all this stuff is over.

- I know you will.

- How long's it gonna be?

- Monday morning.

- Praise the Lord, and thank you, Jesus.

You think that's funny, don't you?

- I like teasing you.

- I know you do.

Everybody says I'm gonna be rich,

won't have to worry about a thing.

- Did your father tell you that?

- No, but everybody else in the world.

Everybody else

in the world don't know.

Everybody says you're gonna play pro

ball and have your own Nike sneakers...

and star in commercials

and make mad loot.

So much money that we won't be

in Coney lsland no more.

What did I tell you about listening

to what people say?

I hear what you say, but if

everybody's sayin' the same

thing, it's gotta be true.

Uncle Bubba even said you were

gonna buy him and Aunt Sally

some new house in Long lsland.

He asked me if I want

to go house shopping with him.

Looking for a big old house, too,

with, like, a green lawn and grass...

and lots of trees

and even a swimming pool in the back.

- Uncle Bubba told you that?

- Mm-hmm.

- I'm gonna have to talk

to that uncle of yours.

- All the kids in school say,

- I'm gonna have to talk

to that uncle of yours.

- All the kids in school say,

since I'm gonna be

so rich and famous, that...

I'm not gonna need to go

to school anymore...

'cause I already know how to count

and I'm just wasting my time.

If I hear you talkin' like that again,

I'll kill you myself!

Dang! Let go of me!

All those kids don't mean sh*t!

I'm raising you, nobody else!

- Get off of me!

- We're not rich.

We don't have no money.

We don't have sh*t.

If those were really

your friends, they wouldn't be

filling your head with bullshit.

I didn't say I believed it. I just said

that that's what people are saying.

- Can't believe you listen

to that bullshit.

- Fine! I'm sorry, all right?

Goodness!

You never tell me nothin'.

You never even have time for me no more.

Well, it's gonna be over

Monday morning, okay?

I'm really trippin'.

I'm sorry. I apologize

for putting my hands on you, okay?

I'm just-- I'm afraid.

Me too.

I mean, I just want

the best for both of us.

And, you know, Mommy,

she wanted you to go to college.

All these people around here, half

these people aren't going to college.

Mommy wants you

to get your degree.

Why is Daddy here?

Why did he come back?

He's not gonna be here

much longer.

But, Jesus,

I miss him so, so much.

- Go to sleep.

- Good night.

Hello, everyone. I'm Robin Roberts.

Welcome to Sports Center.

Tonight, our feature is

about a biblical player--

the Chosen One, the second coming,

the resurrection,

the salvation.

ESPN gets religion as we follow a day

in the life of Abraham Lincoln senior...

Jesus Shuttlesworth, the number one

basketball prospect in the country.

Jesus of Coney lsland.

Jesus is the best thing to happen to the

game since the tennis shoe was invented.

Jim Faen from Mount

Saint Mary's used to say,

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